There’s a good chance that you’ll see some green faces on October 31st — whether due to ghoulish masks, painted cheeks, or just candy-induced sickness! But have you thought about having a properly green Halloween? Holiday times are often occasions where we end up wasting resources or taking cheap or popular options because it’s easier. And no-one wants to be the party-pooper who insists on organic carrot sticks instead of candy.

But you and your kids can still have fun while being eco-friendly. Here are three big Halloween focus areas — candy, costumes and parties – and how to turn them all just that bit greener.

We spend most of our day at work. And, in most cases, our work involves lots of paper, numerous electronic appliances, even long-haul flights. You might be making an effort to go green at home (and it’s easier to stay motivated when your own wallet benefits) … but are you doing anything at work? Is your workplace set up so that green behavior is almost automatic, or do you end up throwing recyclable paper in the trash? Does your company use environmentally-friendly supplies and services — in fact, do your colleagues even know the answer to this one?

You know that caring about the environment is important. But no one in your office (including you!) wants to be hampered with a lot of extra tasks in order to be more eco-friendly. So here’s how to make being green really easy:

On average, we each use 50 – 70 gallons of water per day in the home — that’s around 70,000 – 100,000 gallons per year for a family of four. Cutting down on your water use at home isn’t just a great way to do your bit for the environment … it’ll also save you a significant chunk of cash on your water bill. If you follow all five tips below, you could easily save $100 a year on your bill. (Based on an estimate of $1.50 per 1,000 gallons.)

What types of materials come to mind when you think of recycling? My first thought is always paper and cardboard, closely followed by the other items that pass through my hands daily: plastic, tin and glass containers. When you encourage your kids or partner to sort items at home for recycling, these are the types of things you focus on. The same goes for corporate recycling schemes at your office: you probably have a box or bin specifically for waste paper.

But there are a number of other items that you might not realize you can recycle. These are all things which typically end up cluttering our basements and attics – or which we guiltily throw into the trash. We often don’t even realize that they can be recycled. Here are eight things you probably aren’t recycling … yet.

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Have you ever said “I just don’t have time to be green?” I’m often tempted to use busyness as an excuse to assuage my environmental guilt — but the truth is that plenty of green habits take almost no time at all. All you need to do is make some tiny changes to the way you go about your typical day. Even better, the six habits I’ve picked here all have bonuses for you — beyond feeling good about being eco-friendly!

[sniplet tweetright]However many great reasons there are to care about the environment, I have to admit to something. I often find myself thinking: What difference can one person make? And anyway, this seems like a lot of work, what’s in it for me?

I’m probably not the only one who has these sorts of thoughts. Have you ever felt the same?

Luckily, living a greener lifestyle does have some concrete personal benefits for you, and one person can actually make a difference. If you’re trying to lose weight (and most of us are), try these five ways of saving the planet and shedding some excess pounds at the same time.